Ian Rideout, Red Cross operations director for Northern Scotland, said: "We received a call from the home asking for help to evacuate because the Deveron was at a dangerously high level."

Ten homes in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, were evacuated after Loch Soy burst its banks. Grampian's Fire Service's f looding response unit were sent to Portsoy, where crews were last night helping people from flooded properties.

They used small boats to rescue 11 people, including six from a care home in the town.

Resident Mary Christie, 69, said fire crews had tried to rescue her and her husband from their home.

She said: "It's like a river outside. It's unbelievable. We didn't go because we're on slightly higher ground.

"They've put sandbags against gates and evacuated some people. I don't know if the water's in people's homes but it was up as high as 3ft."

Grampian Police said surface water was making roads across Aberdeenshire treacherous, in particular the A947 between Turriff and Fyvie, where some vehicles had become trapped.

A number of schools in the north-east were also closed because of the flooding and treacherous road conditions.

Between around 6pm and 11pm on Wednesday, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received 117 calls about flooding from the public.

Mark Asbury, who lives in a flat on Main Road in Glengarnock, said it was the worst case of flooding he had seen.

He said: "It is flooded to the front of my house. I've never seen anything like it."

Nigel Sutherland, from Rothesay, said his local area was also badly hit.

He said: "Three town centre pubs flooded and were closed. The drains couldn't cope with the deluge."

Sections of Great Western Road in Glasgow were also under several inches of water.

Floodwater caused a wall to collapse on to the Glasgow to Largs main railway line near Pencil View, Largs.

The line was immediately closed. Parts of the M9 spur road near the Forth Road Bridge were also affected by f looding. And sections of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen were also flooded overnight.